Abridged 0-49: Babel

Abridged Commentary Part 0-49

Over the years we’ve often returned to the turbulence of the Old Testament for images that – as ruins, perhaps – might be repurposed as frames for interrogating the muddle of now. Babel – taking its name from the tower built toward the heavens whose failure, so the story goes, shattered one langauge into many – is as clear an example as any. The art here comes from a collaboration with Belfast Photo Festival and their open call for submissions, and this was a classic A4 landscape issue. When we put it together half a decade ago, we were thinking about post-truth and the rubble of communication dominating the post-internet landscape. At the time of writing, we’re thinking again about power, tall towers and the fractures and tethers of communicaiton as we get ready for our next issue, Axis… 

Cover Image: Dara McGrath

GIF: @hoppip

Abridged 0-49 was funded by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland

0-49 is a collaboration with Belfast Photo Festival

Abridged is funded by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland

This Zone Archive Project is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland